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Maine company tied to Chinese fundraising scandal with Obama.com

Obama.com owned by bundler in Shanghai with business ties to Chinese government

A breaking story on Brietbart.com reveals that the Obama.com website is owned by a U.S. citizen living in Shanghai, China and may provide the opportunity for foreign or fraudulent donations. The website is managed by a small web development firm, Wicked Global, in Maine. Greg Dorr of Wicked Global lists on his LinkedIn page his additional employment with Peace Action Maine and Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights.

Breitbart News obtained an advance copy of the bombshell report which reveals that the Obama.com website is not owned by the president’s campaign but rather by Obamabundler Robert Roche, a U.S. citizen living in Shanghai, China. Roche is the chairman of a Chinese infomercial company, Acorn International, with ties to state-controlled banks that allow it to “gain revenue through credit card transactions with Chinese banks.”

According to the GAI report, 68 percent of all Internet traffic to Obama.com comes from foreign visitors.

There’s more.

The unusual Obama.com website redirects traffic directly to a donation page on the Obama campaign’s official website, my.barackobama.com, which does not require donors tob enter their credit card security code (known as the CVV code), thereby increasing the likelihood of foreign or fraudulent donations. The website is managed by a small web development firm, Wicked Global, in Maine. One of Wicked Global’s employees, Greg Dorr, lists on his LinkedIn page his additional employment with Peace Action Maine and Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights.

This is from the report:

On October 4, 2010, Obama.com’s site registration was changed from “Roche, Robert” to an anonymous registration with a company called Domains By Proxy, which is owned by GoDaddy. Later, server hosting was changed from Japan Global Media Online to Hostmonster/Bluehost.com, a company based out of Utah.

Administration of the page was taken over by a small company with only four employees listed on its website. Wicked Global, of Waterville, Maine, registered to a 25-year-old former Harvard student named Derek Dorr. Another Dorr, Gregory, is listed as “Lead Marketing” for Wicked Global and lists additional work for himself on LinkedIn: fundraising and program director for Peace Action Maine and as a “private consultant” with Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights.

Confirming Wicked Global’s association with Obama.com is simple enough. First, the Google Analytics account registered to Obama.com is registered to Wicked Global as well. Second, when someone forces an error on Obama.com they are prompted to contact Wicked Global.

Who arranged for Wicked Global to oversee Obama.com, and why that was done is unknown.

And there’s still more.

In 2011, Mr. Roche obtained one of the most sought-after pieces of real estate in Washington, DC: a seat at the head table for President Obama’s State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao. How Roche—a man whose infomercial company hawks fitness equipment, cell phones, and breast enhancement products—landed a seat alongside Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, Sen. John Kerry, former President Jimmy Carter, and Chinese President Hu Jintao remains unclear.

Since 2009, White House Visitor Logs list the name Robert Roche at least 19 times, despite the fact Mr. Roche’s primary residence is in China.

Mr. Roche, who is originally from Chicago, is a co-chair of the Technology Initiative for the Obama campaign.

According to Acorn International’s prospectus, the success of Mr. Roche’s company hinges on maintaining access to state-run media and “preferential tax treatments and subsidies” doled out by the People’s Republic of China (PRC):

Our business depends on our access to TV media time to market our products and services in China….PRC law is vague and is subject to discretionary interpretation and enforcement by PRC authorities…Loss of these preferential tax treatments and subsidies could have material and adverse effects on our results of operations and financial conditions.

In his written statement, Pilati explained, “‘New Vintage’ is my way to reflect our social and economic state by capitalizing on existing resources to translate sustainable ‘values’ into ‘forms.'” And in an impromptu speech during the showing, Barneys fashion director Julie Gilhart called the collection, “limited, exclusive and beautiful.” Creative director Simon Doonan hosted the event.

In his written statement, Pilati explained, “‘New Vintage’ is my way to reflect our social and economic state by capitalizing on existing resources to translate sustainable ‘values’ into ‘forms.'” And in an impromptu speech during the showing, Barneys fashion director Julie Gilhart called the collection, “limited, exclusive and beautiful.” Creative director Simon Doonan hosted the event.